Friday, April 21, 2006

What wall between Church and State?


A tip from Orange Politics to this article in News & Observer:

The Chatham County Board of Commissioners bristled Monday at being asked to stop invoking Jesus Christ in prayers at its meetings.

The ACLU of North Carolina Legal Foundation sent a letter to commissioners Chairman Bunkey Morgan last week asking the board to "stop the practice of using sectarian invocations at Chatham County commissioners meetings."

In the letter, the ACLU said it learned of the practice from a Feb. 17 report in The News & Observer about area government boards invoking Jesus' name at their meetings.

--------snip---------

In their discussion about the letter Monday, the Chatham commissioners were indignant.

"No man is going to tell me how to pray," Morgan said during an afternoon work session.

Later, at the board's formal meeting, he began his invocation by saying, "In the Bible, Jesus taught us this prayer;" then he recited the Lord's Prayer.

------------snip-------------

Commissioner Patrick Barnes said the ACLU would spend its time better by picking up trash on U.S. 64.

Commissioner Tommy Emerson suggested the board use the Lord's Prayer.

"I talked to a Jewish person about it, and he had no problem with the Lord's Prayer," Emerson said. The Lord's Prayer begins, "Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name."
And they say they are the ones who are opressed!?

posted by Bora Zivkovic @ 7:09 PM | permalink | (0 comments) | Post a Comment | permalink